IDF officer outlines steps to extend service and recruit more Haredim

Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb, head of the IDF Personnel Directorate, said the army needs major manpower reinforcements and is seeking to return compulsory service to 36 months. Speaking in a special IDF podcast published Thursday morning, he warned that Israel’s ongoing fighting and complex security demands require more combat soldiers and support troops in technology, driving and maintenance, and that without a longer service term the shortages will worsen in the coming years.

Tayeb said the proposed move is meant to increase operational professionalism, create new units and replace exhausted reservists. “We need to replace the worn-out reservists and spread the burden across the public,” he said. He added that the draft legislation, developed together with government ministries and the Finance Ministry, includes financial compensation, so the closer a deferment notice is given to a soldier’s discharge date, the greater the pay supplement will be.

He also addressed the enlistment of Haredi men, an issue at the center of public debate in Israel. Tayeb said, “The IDF has made unprecedented moves over the past three years to enable the integration of Haredi members into military service.” He said the goal is to expand the ranks and realize the potential of every servicemember, while also meeting the operational needs shared by all citizens.

According to the report, the chief of staff has recently signed unprecedented IDF orders that anchor arrangements meant to preserve a Haredi lifestyle in the army. The push to extend service comes at a sensitive time, as the Haredi public is protesting arrests of yeshiva students and draft measures, including a recent large car convoy demonstration. Meanwhile, the IDF says it is continuing to expand dedicated Haredi frameworks while preserving religious observance inside the military.